DAVE'S SWEETNESS

We had been married only a short time, frustration and confusion hitting me often regarding whether I was doing the right thing or not, making right or wrong choices.

The main reason: after a number of years of being the main family worker, the list including jobs and cleaning the house and caring for the kids, my "then" husband was rarely doing anything helpful.  I was worn out and heavily overwhelmed.  Then, while "single momming" for a year, that was filled with even more stress and distress.  ONLY THE LORD pulled me through both of those sections of life, covering about 16 years. 

After marrying my dear man, life changed.  I was a stay-at-home mom and just taking care of the basic needs.  What a treat!  -- At least, for the first few months.

THEN my kids became angrier and angrier.  So typical as teens.  The reason was because I wasn't gone when they came home from Jr. Hi and High School.  I wouldn't let them watch certain programs, call certain people, do certain things.  They could bring friends home with them, but because some of these kids were foul-language-oriented, my entrance comment was "Leave the street mouth outside."  They would just roll their eyes... which annoyed me then and forever ... and usually the friends wouldn't come in.

The "You're a Bad Mom" spirit had been burying in me.

One day Dave had been at the house at noon for a lunch break.  When I entered the kitchen after he had gone, I saw a message on the refrigerator and that truly blessed my heart, immensely, immediately.

He drew it on a piece of old-fashioned typing paper.  Very basic.  But his pen, his drawings, his encouragement turned it into a gold-finished parchment sheet.  Touched my heart then, and has for all these nearly 27 years.

[I was asking the Lord last night what I should pop onto my blog, and He put this picture in my mind.  I've kept it in an album for all these years; it will never go away.  Ever, ever.]